The Power of The King
by AryanGodJaune
Summary: A storm is coming to Remnant, one that will require the strength of Jaune and everyone around him. He will need to be able to overcome his fears and limits to stop the oncoming threat. Will he be able to overcome his doubts and defeat the darkness threatening to destroy everything that he cares about? (Chapters 1 and 2 Rewritten, I recommend you reread them.) [Updated 11/27/15]
1. Prologue

_**Edit 4/26/15: I apologize for my six month absence, many problems have come up as of late, including my computer completely breaking beyond repair. But, I promise that reviews will come more often, the next coming sometime next week.**_ _**This is a revision of the first chapter, as the original version had little to do with what I have planned for this story. If you have read this chapter before, I recommend rereading it.**_

_**Edit 11/27/15: So remember when I said that updates would be coming more often? Me neither. But that said, updates **__**will**__** be uploaded at a faster rate. I'm going to try for at least bi-weekly, but will attempt to get everything out as soon as possible. I'm going through the chapters and adding more details that I missed the first (and second) around. I've also added a new prologue scene, which will tie-in later in the story and revised some things. Again, if you have read the story thus far before, I would advise reading it again.**_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.**_

_**RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum. Rest in Peace.**_

* * *

_2:57AM, April 4__th__, 2371_

_New Haven, South Atlas._

The woods of New Haven were usually as alive during the night as the town was during the day. The gentle wildlife, calm rivers and flickering fireflies adding a serene atmosphere to the area. But the night of April 4th, almost all activity had ceased, scared off by the sudden arrival of 4 individuals, and their powerful yet varying auras. They all gathered in the ruins nearby the small town, a reminder of the battles that raged during pre-Great War times. 3 of the figures wore cloaks, white, green and red, the hoods covering their heads, while the 4th wore a mask resembling a Grimm. The one wearing white lit a match a dropped it, igniting a small bonfire that illuminated their faces.

"I suppose you know why we came here." said the figure in green, his left hand resting on a cane he used to support himself.

The figure in white lowered his hood, revealing his long blonde hair that covered the right side of face. A large scar that began at his chin and went up past his lip to the upper part of his cheek stood out against his skin; a sign of a close encounter with a ferocious creature known as a Grimm. He looked into Green's brown eyes before replying. "Yes, of course." the figure in white replied simply.

"And is it as we've feared?" asked the red cloaked figure. On his back rested a large sword, with what appeared to be gears in the hilt.

"I'm afraid so, the mark appeared on his hand." said White, his voice but a somber whisper.

Green extended his arm and placed a hand on White's shoulder. "I am so sorry John. But we must now decide what to do."

"I'm doing the only sensible thing I can think of, protecting my son. If his aura is left unlocked, it will attract all kinds of unimaginable beasts. That's not a life I'll force him to bear." That's insane. How will he protect himself when he encounters a Grimm in the wild?" said Red.

"I'll think of something. I have to protect him. It's a better choice than letting him throw his life away.

"But if don't let him choose his own path, than aren't you taking his life away from him." said Green.

"I can only hope that he doesn't want to be a Hunter."

"That's ridiculous Arc, your entire family are Hunters. Even your oldest Daughters are learning swordplay as we speak."

"Things are changing, we are in a time of peace. There's less incentive than ever to join this line of work."

"But what about when _she_ comes of age? Her rise to power will bring chaos to the entire world." the masked woman exclaimed, her red eyes glowing through the holes in her mask.

"That's my concern, Raven. I don't care what _he_ said. His visions don't mean I have to willingly throw my son into harm's way. Chances are that we're misinterpreting them anyway. Just because my boy shares his Semblance, doesn't mean he's destined to the same fate as him. I refuse to sacrifice my family."

"Don't you dare speak to _me_ about sacrifice. I had to leave both my daughter and husband in order to protect them."

"Key word being protect. I won't let his fate be decided before he even gets the chance to live. This conversation is over. I will keep you updated on his status as agreed." said White, turning on his heel back towards the village.

Red picked up a nearby bucket of water and extinguished the fire. He pulled down his hood, revealing slicked back black hair and brown eyes.

"I'll start the preparations. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, we need to be ready for the coming years. I'll be in contact." Red said as he turned away from Green and Raven, snapping his fingers before vanishing in a cloud of black smoke and feathers.

"Brother's always been on for theatrics hasn't he?" sighed Raven. She began walking towards the motorcycle she rode in on "I understand where John is coming from. It's not fair, what we have to put his son through, but it's for the good of Remnant, right?" she continued

"We need to protect him as much as possible. But at the same time, he needs to be ready for the approaching war." said Green, slowly following behind Raven.

"I should be going. Have more research to do. See you around, Oz." said Raven, before getting back on the motorcycle she rode in on and driving away.

Green looked up, towards the shattered moon.

"Dark times are coming, spawn of Arc. I hope for us all that you're able to stop them."

* * *

_9:56PM, December 8__th__, 2388, Beacon Academy, Vale. _

_**17 Years Later**_

Jaune groaned as the stream of water from the showerhead hit his body. He looked down at the newly made cuts that had riddled his chest. Pyrrha had been getting more aggressive with their training, something she said was important if Jaune wanted to make progress. Jaune, in his humble opinion, was in much better shape than he was when he arrived at Beacon. But still, he was miles below any of his teammates or peers.

9 days ago, there was a sudden surge of Grimm in the city of Vale. Jaune was about to board the airship to the mission he and his team had chosen, to shadow a Huntsmen in a nearby village, when he had saw the smoke rising from the city. He had told the pilot to reroute the ship, towards the destruction. When they had landed, Jaune had found himself confronted by an Ursa Major. At first he had been paralyzed by fear, having absolutely no idea what to do. As soon as he discovered Pyrrha's semblance was Polarity, he had put two and two together and knew that what happened in Forever Fall, decapitating that Ursa, had not been his own doing. Everything was off, his stance, his arm movements, it was impossible to have incapacitated a Grimm of that size with random slashes. Pyrrha had magnetically moved his sword to line up with its head, and had 'forgotten' to mention her involvement, most likely to boost his confidence. But, even knowing that, Jaune put his fears aside, and went at the Grimm with all he had. Words couldn't describe the happiness he felt as the beast slowly fell down.

But even that was nothing compared to what the others had accomplished. Ruby had taken out at least a dozen Ursa, and he had lost count at the number of Beowolves she had obliterated. Although her abilities had seemed inhuman to Jaune, almost everyone else present had similar body counts. Jaune had taken down 7 or 8 Beowolves in addition to the Major, and though that was a new record for him, it had seemed pathetic in comparison to everyone else. Jaune knew that if he didn't make himself stronger soon, he would be left in the dust by everyone else. Before Beacon, Jaune's Grandfather had been the only one that was willing and able to train him. Jaune's mother and father were almost always busy, being Hunters, and most of his sisters had move out to start a life as their own. The only sister still at home was three years younger than him.

But, even though every other available Hunter had turned him down, said that he was incapable of being taught, Jaune's Grandfather took him in. To this day, he doesn't know if it was because of obligation, or if he truly saw potential in him. Regardless, even though they had trained for only two years, he still knew the foundations of combat. If he didn't receive training he did, in all honesty, Jaune would probably have been either expelled or dead by now.

Jaune had turned off water, and stepped out of the shower. While drying himself off, Jaune took his hand and rubbed the fog off of the mirror. Taking a look at himself, Jaune could see the changes in his face. His features were more defined, and he was even beginning to grow some light stubble. In other words, he was beginning to look a lot like his father.

John Arc was often referred to as a tank. Standing at 6'4, he had muscles toned from years of hunting Grimm. He was almost a spitting image of Jaune, but had a gray streak in his hair, due to being in his later forties. Although it has been said a look from him could scare off a Nevermore, the _**real**_ terror of the family, was his mother, Juniper Arc. She was a subtle kind of terrifying. Jaune didn't find out until his early teens that upsetting her was akin to setting off a nuclear bomb. Fun times.

Jaune put on his pajamas, ones that he had bought the other day to replace the…for lack of another word, embarrassing, nightwear that he had brought with him. No doubt that the replacement of the pajamas he had originally packed to bring to Beacon with the footie ones was a prank played on him by his youngest sister, Jill.

When he had had exited the bathroom, Jaune saw that all of his teammates had already fallen asleep. Pyrrha had already finished her shower in the girl's bathroom, and was fast asleep, a drool pile on her pillow.

Jaune grinned at the sight.

'Hard to believe, Pyrrha Nikos, four-time Mistral champion, drools in her sleep.'

But, as Jaune more than anybody knows, Pyrrha was as human as anyone else. Jaune didn't realize who she was at first, as he grew up in a relatively remote village, that wasn't surrounded by media. The only reason why they had Wi-Fi was part because Jaune's dad needed it for his job, other part because his sisters would probably go mad without the internet. Jaune did recall seeing Pyrrha in more than a few of his sister's magazines.

After they were grouped together as a team, Jaune admittedly did research on Pyrrha, Ren and Nora.

Pyrrha, as everyone knows, comes from a famous family of hunters. Practically groomed from birth, she was always miles ahead of everyone in her age group.

Nora's family was a weapons manufacturer, mostly dealing in explosives and heavy weapons. This wasn't surprising, and Jaune guessed that being surrounded by deadly weapons left an impact on the girl. Her family was also relatively well known and wealthy.

Ren came from an area of Remnant located in the Far East. Apparently, his family had moved to Nora's hometown when he was around 13 years old. Ren was taught in the way of martial arts, explaining his fighting style.

All of them came important families, and were taught how to fight from a young age, whereas Jaune had no training until he was 15. He wasn't sure if he would ever reached their level. He hadn't even discovered his semblance, something almost everyone at Beacon had already accomplished. But he couldn't stop trying, for Pyrrha's sake. She had poured so much time and energy into him, and he was sure as hell going to make sure that it paid off.

The Annual Vytal Tournament was soon approaching, and if Jaune even wanted a chance to qualify, he would have to train his ass off and endure Pyrrha's strenuous training. He had to live up to the Arc family name, just like Gramps always told him he was meant to.

He looked down at his dresser, and leaning on it stood his sword in its sheath. The_ Crocea Mors_, the _Yellow Death_. When Gramps handed the sword down to Jaune, it was like a promise. A promise to withhold the Arc Family name. Now, as soon as Jaune figured out how to do that, it would let him rest a whole lot easier.

The pain in his chest fading as his aura mended the wounds. Not only did his aura act as a force field, it also functioned as a healing mechanism. Handy for when he took a beating his aura couldn't protect him from. Pyrrha wasn't lying when she said he had a lot of aura. It was more than almost everyone else he had compared himself to. He thought it was ironic, that the weakest of all his friends also happened to be able to take the most beating. Pyrrha had said it was raw potential, waiting to be unleashed.

'_I still don't know why she goes through all the effort the train me and make me feel good about myself. I know she's my friend, but she's one of the kindest people I've ever met. The only one that compares is…__**her.**__' _thought Jaune, shaking his head. _'I need to get stronger. I won't ever let someone I love be harmed again. I won't break my promise.'_

Jaune laid down on his bed, and pulled his covers over his body. Not wanting to confront his thoughts, he closed his eyes and began to fall asleep. He would get stronger, or die trying.


	2. A Late Night Stroll

**August 14****th****, 2388**

**New Haven, South Atlas**

_Drops of rain down casted above the small rural town of New Haven. A young man sat on a bench, checking his scroll for the time; the screen read __**5:38 AM. **__Jaune had already said all of his goodbyes, leaving his mother and younger sister with tears in their eyes. _

_His father was away on a mission, wanting to distance himself from the fact that his son was leaving. Since Jaune had decided two years ago, at age fifteen, that he wanted to become a Hunter, his father had put a wall between the two of them. He said that the world had enough Hunters, and that there was no need for Jaune to put his life on the line and pursue the career. He refused to train him, and forbade the townspeople from doing so as well._

_Jaune didn't understand his reaction. He had tried his whole life to live up to his father's name, to make him proud. And now that he's finally doing the one thing that makes that possible, he shows disapproval. _

_Jaune adjusted his bag, placing it over his left shoulder. Crocea Mors laid in its sheath, resting on his hip. His house, Arc Manor, lied at the top of the town, its old architecture and pure size giving a sense of superiority over the rest of the village. The garden had long since been forgotten and overgrown, ever since his sister Ivy had left to pursue her dreams of creating efficient and lifesaving medicine and alchemic solutions. _

_After a rough two years of training, Jaune had finally been deemed capable enough by his Grandfather to attend a Huntsmen Academy. Unfortunately, Jaune didn't have the qualifications to be accepted in. He had applied to many schools, one of which being the local Atlas Academy. Unfortunately, the knight had been harshly rejected, the head of the school James Ironwood saying, quote, "You are not qualified enough to be a janitor at my school, let alone a Huntsmen-in-training." Luckily, his Grandfather had his connections and managed to pull some strings to get his hands on a set of fake transcripts. But after General Iron__**prick's **__response, Jaune decided to apply to the Valean school of Beacon Academy. The knight was thankful to be given a chance to prove himself, to become a hero._

_Jaune would've said goodbye to his Grandfather, but he had left a week earlier, and had not told the knight where he had went. All of his sisters were already well and done with school, save for his younger sister Cerise, who would be attending a school of her choice two years from now. He didn't have any other friends to say farewell to, as he was always seen as "a stain on the Arc family name" and thus ridiculed for not living up to other's expectations. _

_And then __**she**__ appeared in his mind yet again. The one who had always believed in him, and loved him for who he was. The one he vowed to protect at all costs, even if it meant leaving her behind. _

_As he approached the taxi that had been called to bring him to the nearest Airship Station, he took one last look at the town that he swore never to return to until he was powerful enough to protect his family and friends. _

"_I promise, I will keep you safe-_

Jaune woke up in a cold sweat. He took his scroll off his nightstand and checked the time.

**3:26**, it said in glowing white letters. More than 3 hours before he needed to be awake.

'_Great_', thought Jaune tiredly. There was no way he was going to be able to go back to sleep after _**that**_.

Jaune put a pair of jeans and his sweatshirt on before leaving the room, careful not to close the door too loudly and wake up his roommates. Walking down the hallways, the knight had been as quiet as possible, as if someone had found him outside his room after dark, Jaune would have detention with Goodwitch for the next month.

Emerald Forest was the closest on campus location that he could safely go for a walk. He often went there on late night walks (in secret of course, Pyrrha wouldn't be too pleased to know that he wasn't getting rest). There were non-populated areas of the forest marked by lanterns that lined the makeshift paths. So the knight walked the trail, taking in the late night breeze and smell of pine in the air.

He was reminded of the forests surrounding his hometown. He would go there often, sometimes to get away from his sister's bickering, or to escape the bullying of the children who lived in New Haven. He was often ridiculed for being a weakling, a fluke in the Arc line of Huntsmen. So Jaune escaped to nature, where the forest creatures would welcome instead of mock him.

And it was there where he would train with his Grandfather in secret. For some reason never explained to Jaune, his father would outright refuse to train him, even when he decided to become a hunter. Not only that, but his forbid anyone else in the village from training the boy, under the threat of getting on his bad side. His Grandfather didn't care though, he said that Jaune was destined to be a hero, to protect the world from the darkness. Kind words considering how utterly hopeless he seemed to train.

At first, Jaune didn't even have a proper sword. He was made to use a stick, and work his way up. Up until the age of 15, Jaune hadn't even held an actual weapon. His Grandfather insisted that he devote all of his focus to bettering himself. The training was rigorous, and Jaune had little free time to do anything but hone his skills. In order to even have a slight chance at survival, he would have to push himself.

One of the first things Jaune's Grandfather had taught him, before even teaching him how to properly wield a sword, was how to defend himself. This entailed things such as how to block with a shield, parry attacks, and, of course, know when you're being followed.

When Jaune heard a branch break behind him, he didn't hesitate to draw his sword quickly while turning 180 degrees towards the supposed stalker, only to be faced with…nothing. Jaune sighed, before going to place his blade back in it's sheathe. It was then that Jaune heard a small laugh, sending a shiver down his spine. He turned again, slowly this time, his hand still on the handle of his weapon. He looked at the figure, wearing a grey and red cloak with a hood that covered his face.

"Very impressive, young man. I've never seen someone your age detect my presence so quickly. Jerimiah taught you well. I never was able to convey my nieces the more subtle skills of battle." said the cloaked figure. His voice sounded robotic, being modified by some device.

"Who are you? How do you know me or my Grandfather?!" demanded Jaune, his hand still gripped tightly on his blade.

"Relax Jaune. I'm a…friend of the family. Trust me when I say that I'm of no harm to you or your family. Now that doesn't mean that I expect you to lower your weapon. If it makes you feel safe, than by all means. I know that Jerimiah told you never to lower your guard." Indeed he had. One time, in one of their spars, Jaune's grandfather pretended to lose and fell to the ground. Afterwards, Jaune began to gloat and turn his back on his Grandfather's apparent collapsed figure. He then learned his lesson when, not a second later, Jerimiah Arc had his blade at his grandson's throat.

"If you're friendly, than what's your name?" the knight demanded. "That is something I am afraid I cannot reveal at the moment. Prying ears and all." said the cloaked figure, pointing to a camera embedded in a nearby tree. "Ozpin isn't the only one who has access to those cameras. They were how I came to find you here. I would expect that if…'certain parties' were to know I was here, it could cause quite a number of problems on both our ends."

Jaune sighed, not sure what to make of the figure. He trusted his gut, and placed his blade back in its sheathe.

"Alright then. Tell me why you went through all the trouble tracking me down?" asked the knight.

"Oh, the typical ominous warnings and such. Approaching doom and all that." the figure said, and Jaune swore he could make out a grin on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, simply put, dark times are approaching. It would seem that an individual that I and my associates refer to as "_The Dark Queen"_ is putting her plans and powers into motion. She managed to take down all Atlas Security guarding the Cross Continental Transmit, which contains access to every device connected to Beacon's Network, and hacked into the system. Every electronic device, including your scroll, might be compromised. You can imagine this has been a nightmare for the faculty, as "_Queen_" might know very valuable information."

'I can't believe this' the knight thought, in disbelief at just the idea that someone was able to bypass Atlas's "impenetrable" security.

The cloaked figure paused a moment before continuing, "And the Vale Breach two days after the Ball was also her doing. Though not everything went to plan, as she expected casualties in the thousands." the cloaked figure said, Jaune swearing he sensed a tone of disgust in his robotic voice.

"I can't believe it… But that still doesn't explain why you're here for me? What do you expect me to do to stop her?" Jaune said, his voice notably dropping.

"Heh, that's exactly it Jaune. You're the only one that _can_ stop her." the hooded figure said this time with smugness in his electronic voice

"Wh-what do you mean? Have you met me? I can hardly stop an Ursa, let alone someone powerful enough to defeat an entire Atlas Security Team."

"Oh, don't undersell yourself Jaune. You and I both know you're more than you seem. Just by analyzing your aura, I can see that you have more of it than anyone I have ever encountered, Arcs included. But that's not all, you have a power inside you, that's only been seen once before. And when you find this power inside yourself, well, let's just say your humanity's trump card."

"What 'power' are you talking about? You know what my semblance is? How is that even possible? I don't even know what it is."

"Unfortunately I can't let you in on that secret just yet. Prying ears and all. And if they were know that sensitive information, let's just say you would become a much more valuable individual in their eyes."

"So the only reason you came out here was to warn me of imminent danger, in which apparently only _**I**_ am capable of stopping. But you won't tell me how or why I'm the only who can stop it?"

"Exactly. You catch on quickly Mr. Arc. Just continue to train as you would normally, and hone on your essential Huntsmen skills. After all, it is foolish for a person to rely on their semblance alone. And please, if it's not too much to ask, keep this conversation between the two of us. We don't want to drag your peers into this situation prematurely. I will be in touch, but do be on the lookout for suspicious individuals. As no doubt they will send spies to watch you just after hearing this conversation." the figure said to Jaune, as he reached out his arm, in what appeared to be a gesture to shake hands.

Jaune took the figures hand and shook it nervously. "Thanks for the warning I guess. I'll see you around…"

The hooded man extended his left arm outwards, and tucked his right behind him while taking a bow. "And you as well. Farewell, Jaune Arc. I'm off to get a drink" the figure said as he turned away from Jaune and walked into a darker part of the woods until Jaune could no longer make his figure out. He looked down into his hand, the figure had placed a small piece of paper in it. Jaune decided it was probably a good idea to leave the forest before opening it. As he continued down the path leading to the academy grounds, Jaune could've sworn he heard the sound of a crow calling out in the distance, but it was probably his ears playing tricks on him.

Jaune entered his room as quietly as he had left it. It was now only a half an hour before the rest of his team would wake up. To his relief, all of the team had still been sleeping and hadn't notice him slip out. The one time they had caught him, Pyrrha had scolded him on not getting enough sleep and how he would be a mess for the next day. Jaune grabbed some clothes from his dresser and went into the Team's men's bathroom. He opened up the small scrap of paper. It was written in red calligraphy.

_'The History of Remnant, Page 257, Paragraph 2. Memorize this piece of paper, then destroy it._'

'History of Remnant'? What could possibly be so important in his History textbook? Whatever it is, he would have to wait until Professor Oobleck's class later today, as he left his book there. He looked the paper over several more times until it was finally burned into his mind. He then ripped the paper into several pieces, and then flushed it down toilet. Jaune then took a quick shower before changing into his uniform. When he exited the bathroom, he was quickly greeted with a good morning from Ren before the stoic entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Both Nora and Pyrrha were also awake, the former taking her time in the girls shower, though it's doubtful Pyrrha minds. Jaune began to gather his belongings that he required for the day, including Crocea Mors. Though most students place their weapons in their respective R.P.L's (Rocket Powered Lockers), Jaune felt more comfortable keeping his on him at all possible times. Besides, it wasn't explicitly against any school rules.

Jaune suddenly felt a shift of the atmosphere, a dark aura overwhelming him.

"So, did you enjoy your little walk this morning?" asked the red-haired Spartan, suddenly behind the knight.

'_Damn, I thought she was asleep. Did she see me talking to the guy in the hood?'_ thought Jaune, surprised and attempting to compose himself.

"Sorry if I woke you. I had a nightmare and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to go on a walk to clear my head. Did you…happen to follow me the entire time?"

"No, I stopped when you left the school grounds. Jaune, if you had a nightmare, you could have woken me up to talk about it. Do you remember what it was about?" asked the Spartan, her tone changing from anger to one of worry.

'Thank Oum, she didn't see him. Although, I can't tell Pyrrha about _**her**_.'

"Oh, it was nothing. I don't even remember what it was about, but I guess it was enough to shake me up, huh?" said the blonde nervously.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at Jaune's response, but soon brushed it off.

"Okay, though I would've preferred it if you got more rest, if you couldn't get more sleep, than I guess there's no harm. Just let me know next time, alright?" the Spartan said, placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"Of course, thanks Pyr." Jaune said, his voice cracking and a blush on his face.

As Nora exited the girl's bathroom, Pyrrha entered it, also taking a quick shower. When the four of them were ready, they started walking down to the cafeteria to meet with Team RWBY for Breakfast. Jaune, the note that the man gave him burned in his mind, started his day with one objective.

Get that book.


	3. Friday at Beacon Academy

**Friday, December 9****th****, 2388**

**Beacon Academy, Vale**

The day seemed to move slower than usual, probably because Jaune actually had something he needed to do as opposed to every other day where things usually follow a routine: Get his ass kicked in Goodwitch's class, sleep through Port's lectures, and struggle to follow anything that Oobleck had to say.

So far, the first two had proven true. He had the misfortune of being paired with Yang, who is renowned for having no mercy on her opponents. Jaune's plentiful aura was as much of a blessing as it was a curse. Though he wasn't very strong, he was able to take a lot of hits. A lot of hits indeed.

Professor Port's class was as it always was. Any kind of lesson to be learned was quickly lost in one of the Professor's long tangents. Jaune thought it might have been about the differences between Ursa and Ursa Majors, but he wasn't too sure. He'd have to ask Pyrrha later, she was much better at finding the point in Port's stories than he was.

In between Port and Oobleck's class was Jaune's elective, Field Medicine and Survival Tactics. The knight took this class to be prepared for the worst out in the wild. The only one of his friends who shared this class with him was Ren, though he was usually too busy working on improving his skills to make much conversation.

Jaune actually excelled in the class, and put what he learned in it to use whenever possible. The class is taught by Professor Peach, a rather eccentric man (though not quite on the level of Doctor Oobleck) in his 50's, who became a Hunter after his pregnant wife passed away due to being poisoned by a venomous-Grimm.

The time passed faster in this class than all his others ones, as he actually paid attention in hopes of learning information that might help him in the battlefield, as well as Jaune always having a slight affinity for the alchemic arts.

"Attention class, today we will be creating a tonic known as "_Cat's Eye._" The effects of the liquid are immediate upon consumption; it enhances a person's natural senses, allowing them to spot an enemy and their attacks much quicker than usual. It also has a side effect of night vision, similar to that of a faunus, though the effect seems to be benign and unnoticeable to a faunus consumer. The effects last anywhere from 6-10 minutes, depending on how well the liquid is prepared and how fresh the ingredients are. You will have until the end of the period to brew the tonic. You may begin."

Jaune immediately got to work, trying to take his mind off of the events that transpired the night before. He began grinding up leaves of nightshade into a powder, before mixing it with liquefied worms wart. Then, the blonde shook the bottle vigorously, before heating the liquid in a nearby burner, removing all remaining particles. He then poured the contents into a bottle containing red sap from the Forever Fall Forest, the base for most potions, and mixed them together. The product, a dimly glowing light purple liquid, was now compete.

He looked up at the clock, and saw that he still had 15 minutes until class ended. He glanced over to Ren to see that he was finishing up his potion as well. He decided to strike up a conversation with his stoic friend. They spoke about the approaching Vytal Festival Tournament, and how it was less than two weeks away. Jaune was nervous about his abilities and how they would affect the team's performance, but Ren reassured him by saying "if worse comes to worse, just let Nora run rampant." Not a bad strategy, mind you.

Not long after, the bell rang as Professor Peach began to speak. "Now remember students, read pages 153 to 174 over break, as we will be going over the text when we return from break. Good luck to those participating in the Vytal Festival Tournament. Class dismissed."

Jaune and Ren sat up from their seats and began to leave the classroom. The knight and stoic turned in their tonics to Professor Peach as they exited the room. Jaune told Ren that he had something he needed to do in Oobleck's class and that he would catch up with him, and began to walk at a faster pace than usual as he sped down the hallway towards Doctor Oobleck's room. Getting there before anyone else, Jaune quickly grabbed his book from the front of the room and flipped to the place where the hooded man had instructed.

'_Let's see, Page 257, Paragraph 2' _thought the knight as he reached the section.

"_**Important Figures of the Great War: Jean Arc of New Haven**_" the passage read, written in a golden calligraphy.

'Jean Arc? My great-great grandfather? What does the hood want me to know about him?' the knight thought, not noticing Doctor Oobleck approaching him from behind.

"Why good morning Mr. Arc, you came in here so fast, I hardly saw you. What's that you got there, preparing early for class? Why, you're even on the exact right page we'll be reading today! Did I mention today's lesson in class yesterday? I can't seem to remember. Regardless, you must be just ecstatic we'll be reading about one of your ancestors today! Please take your seat Mr. Arc, we'll be starting any moment now!" the Professor said in quite a mouthful, Jaune hardly being to keep up.

The knight began wondering how the man in the hood knew what Oobleck's lesson plan was. He would have to have access to the school, and more importantly the school's files. The thought irked Jaune, and put him on edge.

He walked up to his seat, soon joined by Pyrrha who sat next to him, Nora and Ren, who sat together, and the rest of the RWBY. Jaune re-opened his book to the page, as did the rest of the class, and began to follow along with Oobleck (for once).

"Now class, today we will be discussing the first of many important individuals involved in the "Great War." To start, we will be talking about Jean Arc, the first of the Arc lineage and General of the United World Army." stated Oobleck, as glances from students, including his friends and teammates, were directed at Jaune.

"Now students, before the Great War, the world of Remnant hardly resembled the one we know today. Humanity was on the brink of extinction as Grimm preyed on human and faunus alike, and those alive feuded with one another over petty disagreements. It was one man, Jean Arc, who united humanity against the force that still threatens us to this very day: Grimm."

These were all things Jaune had known. Although his father very reluctant to talk about the man for reasons unknown to Jaune, he had mentioned these things. Almost everyone knows of Jean Arc, who at the young age of 17, lead the strike against the creatures of Grimm and saved humanity from is imminent destruction. He also, along with his partners and associates, helped establish the first Huntsman Academies and the profession itself. He founded Jaune's hometown of New Haven, starting with Arc Manor, before peacefully passing away in his sleep.

Oobleck listed off these things as Jaune was spaced out and lost in thought. He continued reading the passage on Jean Arc before getting to a bit that he had never read before, just as Oobleck got to it himself.

"While Arc was mainly known as a strategist, his skill in combat was remarkable. It was said that he eradicated any Grimm he encountered. There are many conflicting reports on his semblance. Some say he possessed super-speed, while others say he used glyphs to defeat many of his foes. There was one report, notably from a member of the Valkyrie family that says he used the Valkyrie's signature semblance, electrokinesis. These are probably due to misconceptions, as he could have done realistic replications of different semblances using dust. The point still remains that there are no definite reports confirming his semblance." Oobleck said, practically teleporting to different points of his classroom with each sentence.

Nora looked expectantly at Jaune, while the knight just shrugged unknowingly. Jaune was lost, he had never heard about this from his father. And now that he thought about it, Jaune didn't know his Grandfather's semblance either. But what exactly was Hood getting at?

"Arc's ethics were also a center a controversy. Until The Great War, humans and faunus were known for being segregated and barely communicated with each other, but Arc allowed anyone within his ranks, much to the people's shock. He insisted that race didn't matter, and that restricting who he let into his ranks who be the last nail in humanity's coffin."

Again, this was something that was widely known. Although many disagreed with his methods, his results were undeniable. With his assembled United World Army, he pushed back the Grimm and laid the groundwork for the four kingdoms to be formed. Every male Arc after Jean became a renowned Hunter, and made a lasting impact on the world of Remnant.

'_I wonder what kind of impact I'll make on the world_.' Jaune thought

"That's bull, there's no way that an Arc could do that. I mean, just look at Jauney Boy, he'd probably lose against a lone Beowolf." said Russel Thrush suddenly.

'_Damn, that's not something I needed today._' the knight thought.

Surprisingly enough, Cardin Winchester, leader of Team CRDL, remained silent.

Yang stood up from her seat and looked over to where Russel was sitting.

"Oh yeah?! And where was your team during the Breach? Jaune didn't even need to be asked, Team JNPR was there ASAP." the buxom brawler shouted.

"Well from what I heard, RWBY or JNPR didn't do much. That 2nd year team with the faunus freak came and saved the day!" refuted Thrush. What happened next surprised almost everyone in the room. Cardin slapped Russel in the back of the head and shouted "**Will you can you idiot! Keep your damn mouth shut!**"

The entire room went silent for a brief moment, shocked at Cardin's actions. _The _Cardin Winchester just stood up for Jaune Arc.

"Mr. Thrush and Mr. Winchester, stay after class so we can discuss your punishments. Now, apologize to Mr. Arc." demanded Oobleck.

"Whatever, I'm sorry." said Russel half-heartedly.

The lesson continued as Oobleck described a few more important individuals before the bell rang. Nothing else of note happened for the rest of class, but Jaune was still surprised that Cardin had stood up for him. Sure, he hadn't really bullied him since the events that transpired at Forever Falls, but they weren't exactly friends. Perhaps he had done it just to get Yang off their backs, and to avoid further transgressions. Regardless, Jaune felt he would have to thank Cardin later; but at the moment, that wasn't his top priority.

With the school day over, Team JNPR went up to their room. Ren started up the stove in the room's small kitchenette and began preparing lunch for the Team, much to Nora's delight. Jaune changed out of his uniform into his usual black and red hoodie, blue jeans, and sneakers (with left and right written on the bottoms of each shoe respectfully.) The other members of his team did this as well, with Ren having an apron tied around his waist.

As they ate Nora and Ren discussed their plans for the upcoming break. Starting today, students had the week off to prepare for the Vytal Tournament. Jaune had already gone over the new team moves they had been practicing, Flower Power and Arkos. Ruby had help him come up with the attack names, as she already come up with some for her own team. She seemed to have a grin on her face whenever she brought up "Arkos" for some reason. Jaune just shrugged it off, as he liked the name.

"So Jaune, I thought that since we have the week off, maybe we could extend our practices from 2 to 4 hours. It will give me some extra time to finishing teaching you the basics of hand-to-hand combat." said Pyrrha, snapping the knight out of his daze.

"Uh, sure Pyr. I don't mind that at all. So team, do we have any ideas on what to do this week?" asked the knight. Nora perked up, and suggested that they go down to the fairgrounds and try out the different foods of the various stalls. Ren agreed with this suggestion, as it would give him a break from Nora's insatiable hunger.

To be honest, Jaune was a little out of it. He felt guilty that he was ignoring his team, but with what happened last night, and how the Hood said that there might people watching him made Jaune very nervous. He wasn't even given a clear description on what they might look like, so he had to _watch_ his back.

Ren noticed that Jaune was being more quiet than usual (ironic coming from him), and decided to ask him what's up. "Jaune, you've been pretty silent today. Are you feeling okay?"

'_Damn, how is he always able to see right through me?_' thought the knight worryingly.

"I'm fine Ren, just a bit worried about the tournament. I'm not sure I'm skilled enough to support you guys." mumbled Jaune. He felt bad lying to his friends like this, but the Hood told him not to get his friends involved.

"That's ridiculous Jaune! Of course you're good enough to participate with us, you saw how many Grimm you defeated last week! Taking out students from other schools should be a cakewalk." assured Pyrrha, placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

Ren, a small grin on his face, spoke up "And remember what I said earlier, worse comes to worse, they could have an army, but we have a Nora"

Nora laughed maniacally at his praise. There was little Jaune enjoyed more than spending time with his teammates. They had become like a second family to him, and always knew just what to say to cheer him up. Whenever he had a problem, they would try their best to solve it. He just wish they could help him with this.

How does one rephrase "Hey, so a random hooded guy came up to me last night and told me that I was the only one who could stop someone who threatens all of us, with some "power" I know nothing about, and that if I tell you guys it could endanger your well-being" into something that isn't as crazy as it sounds.

"Hey guys, I need to go into Vale to get some things. Would you like to join me?" asked the blonde. The group of 3 agreed, so they gathered their things and walked out of the room. They didn't notice however that a nameless student, someone you would never notice, was hot on their trail

* * *

**Well, this isn't my best work. I'm not entirely too happy with how this turned out, but it's necessary to forwarding the story so oh well. I also got this chapter out relatively fast, so that's a good thing.**

**I'll probably be skipping over the trip to Vale, as there's nothing of note there and the chapter would essentially be filler. Jaune's ancestor was also introduced in this chapter. What could he have to do with our resident blonde knight? Also, Cardin's not being a complete prick this chapter. Who knew he had it in him?**

**So, starting this chapter, I will be writing responding to reviews I get. Here we go:**

**Ecstasy of Gold: Well, as you can see I've overhauled the story a bit. I am and will take your advice into consideration.**

**Guest/Legion: Sorry, but I've already decided on the pairings for the story. **

**Theunknown4299: Haha, I'm sorry for the foreshadowing, but keep posted for "her's" reveal.**

**That's all for now. If you enjoyed, please make sure to leave a review, as it helps me to improve myself and my writing. I hope to see you soon.**


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